El Paso-area attorney Duane Baker dies at 69

Duane Baker, a prominent local civil and criminal attorney known for his kindness and knowledge of the law, died early Wednesday at his Canutillo home. He was 69.

His wife, Isabel Baker, said her husband died after apparently suffering a heart attack. She said she is awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine his cause of death.

"It was a shock to all of us," said Isabel Baker, who spent most of the day at her husband's Downtown law office.

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Adriana M. Chávez

Isabel Baker said she was married to her husband for 38 years. He was born in Cleveland, and his family moved to El Paso when he was 4 because of his mother's allergies.

Duane Baker, an Austin High School graduate, was a proud Vietnam veteran who earned several honors while serving in the Army, including a Bronze Star and a National Defense Service Medal.

He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, which he preferred to call the College of Mines, and his law degree from the University of Houston.

"He liked to say he went to law school with 28 bucks and a gas card," Isabel Baker said while laughing softly.

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Duane Baker represented El Paso police officers in many civil and criminal cases, including Officers Albert Machorro Jr. and Joseph Garcia, who were accused of raping Nancy Hollebeke on May 17, 2002. The officers were later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Most recently, Duane Baker represented Officer Jorge Gonzalez, who is accused of shooting Andrez Cortez on April 1, 2010, outside of an East Side fast food restaurant. The criminal case against Gonzalez is still pending, as is a civil lawsuit filed by Cortez, who is now paralyzed as a result of the shooting, against Gonzalez and the El Paso Police Department.

Baker was recognized by the department in 2011 during its annual police awards ceremony.

"Duane Baker was a very talented attorney who worked with the El Paso Police Department and the city of El Paso for many years," said El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen. "I considered him a friend. He always provided very high quality service and was a good man."

Local defense attorney Jim Darnell, a neighbor and close friend of the Bakers, called Duane Baker "an old-time throwback lawyer. His word was his bond."

Darnell said Duane Baker was a stickler for detail known for chastising those who ignored those details with a high-pitched "You know better than that!"

"I will remember Duane for a lot of things, mostly because he was one of the most detailed, pedantic people I have ever met in my entire life," Darnell said. "There was no detail too small for him to overlook."

Duane Baker was once the first assistant district attorney under former El Paso County District Attorney Steve Simmons, and he continued to develop a successful reputation among his peers throughout the past 20 years.

"He always had some good advice," said El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza, who succeeded Simmons in 1992. "Lawyers like him make doing what I do worth it. We're going to miss him."

Duane Baker is survived by his wife and three children, Regina Porras, Monica Baker and Ryan Baker.

Funeral services are pending.

Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6117. Follow her on Twitter @AChavezEPTimes